January 06, 2019

iPhone - Shelf Life Expiring As Must-Have Cool

It isn't only the Chinese who sense they no longer need an iPhone as a status symbol.

Right here in the American Midwest, the spell the iPhone had cast on us has been broken.

After my second iPhone wore out (its shelf life is about 4.2 years), I made the identity and financial decision to switch to a flip phone.

The cost of the device was about $70.00. Cheap.

My monthly fee for the service of the telecommunications carrier is about 20 bucks less than the special grandfathered rate I had held on with the iPhone.

My flip phone has been adequate for both social and business needs. After all, I am not the press secretary for a politico.

And, never again will any bit of tech take me over. Actually, I hammered on Facebook that I yearned to be tech-free and bunk in a cottage in the woods off the grid. Yes, I was willing to roam the area to find a hotspot for internet access. Many on Facebook. indicated they shared that hunger for a life w/o devices.

Not only is the wonderment with tech getting old. So is trust.

My cheapo Brother printer, which had cost about $80, sent a digital message that it needed a new drum. After two months of receiving that message, finally I went to Office Max to price the drum. It was over $100.

Did the salesman think I had taken a stupid pill?

I blurted out that I could buy a whole new Brother or other brand printer for less. He looked me in the eye and, with great authority, stated that the weighty decision was up to me.

I pivoted to the aisle with the printers. There were several models for under $100. Also, I can swing by the tech store in Youngstown, Ohio which sells used hardware. It could have some printers for about $50. No, there is no need for gee-whiz. Not any more.

Now that iPhones don't make me feel cool, what does?

Answer: Receiving well-paid communications assignments, despite my age and a turbulent economy. This weekend I had to cancel my recreational travel plans to do a long-form blog and plan an e-book. I boasted about that in my residential complex.

Having work which provides a fair wage is the new status symbol. Often that work doesn't require an iPhone.